The present invention relates in general to distribution of audiovisual content to user locations within a building or facility, and, more specifically, to finding, scheduling, and reproducing digital content from a subscription-based content library stored in a public data network.
Large, multi-room facilities such as schools, business offices, and government buildings often use centralized audiovisual systems in order to provide various multimedia content to multiple locations within the facility. In schools for example, multimedia teaching tools make learning fun and interesting while appealing to varied learning and teaching styles. A centralized video distribution and control system allows optimum usage of video equipment while enabling teachers to integrate multimedia into their classroom activities.
In view of the growth in electronic distribution of multimedia content over public networks such as the Internet, large amounts of digital video material are becoming available for use. However, it is sometimes difficult to find specific content that is desired or to even know whether any exists. Therefore, it would be desirable to collect information about available content in accordance with established subject matter areas that may be of interest or that may be required by applicable educational standards, for example. By centralizing audiovisual equipment for a facility, more effective usage of equipment can be obtained thereby avoiding costs for unnecessary equipment. Many facilities such as schools may have a preexisting cable television network wired to appropriate locations such as classrooms within the facility. By centralizing media players such as video cassette players and DVD players for shared access over the cable television system, equipment expense is reduced. In the case of digital content, downloading and centralizing all the potentially desired content within the facility using electronic storage in local video servers becomes impractical due to the voluminous amounts of content that may be used within a particular facility. Consequently, tracking down digital content, planning corresponding classroom activities, scheduling the use of equipment, and reproducing appropriate content has been a relatively complex operation.
What is needed is a system architecture that reduces the need for expensive equipment at a user facility and that implements a simple and efficient interface for finding content, planning and scheduling use of content, and controlling reproduction during playback in real time.